How far can a Human see in Starlight?

[Stalker0]

In 3.5, it's specifically for encounter distance.

-Hyp.

Checked it out, and Hyp's right.

So let's compare the 3.5 and 3.0 systems:

1) Start with light forest, average encounter distance (from 3.0) is 105 feet. Assuming the basic DC to spot a medium humanoid is 0, then that's about a 10 spot check. So that seems reasonable. The question of course is if you fail, when you can make a new spot check as you get closer. I would go with whenever the distance equals your check. So if you got an 8, it would be at 80 feet.

In 3.0 the DC was 20. However, if you failed, you automatically saw them at half the distance.

2) Let's try open grassland. Encounter distance is 420 feet. In 3.5, that's a spot check DC 42. Assuming your basic spot of 10 again, that means you won't see someone in an open field until they are 100 feet away. In 3.0, its still a 20, again you encounter them at half the distance (210).


Personally, I would recommend to most people to go with the 3.0 rules they're just plain easier and they make more sense.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

The thing I dont like about 3.0 rules is that every encounter ends up being seen.
Failed your check.. you see them at half distance.

Easy to remember, sure. I ended up HRing you make another check at half until one side noticed or paths failed to cross.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The thing I dont like about 3.0 rules is that every encounter ends up being seen.

Well... if it doesn't get seen, it isn't an encounter... right?

It has to end up being seen if it's to be an encounter... so naturally, every encounter gets seen!

-Hyp.

 

[Nyeshet]

An interesting link on recognition at a distance . . .

I found this a while back, and this conversation reminded me of it:

http://www.livescience.com/technology/050314_blurry_faces.html

A quote from it:

". . . these experiments show that celebrity face identification remains quite reliable up to about 25 feet and then degrades gradually to zero reliability at 110 feet."

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Here are some vision rules I got a long time ago. I'm not sure where I got them from.


The following chart illustrates the distances at which a man sized figure could be seen.

Can you explain this chart a little better? I'm not entirely clear on what requires a DC 30 check and what requires a DC 10. Is it only the first two columns that require a check?

Otherwise, it looks like a good resource!

 

[TheGogmagog]

But after reading the comments about shadowy illumination, I think it's actually correct and *looks out for lightning bolts* Hypersmurf may be wrong.

*Rolls dex check* ... 12 ... takes full damage from lightning bolt.

 

[KarinsDad]

Can you explain this chart a little better? I'm not entirely clear on what requires a DC 30 check and what requires a DC 10. Is it only the first two columns that require a check?

Say it's Twilight and the DM wants a PC to make a spot roll at 750 feet for a stationary target.

The Stationary column says that DC 30 is 900 feet and the DC increment is every 20 feet. The Type column says that DC 10 is 500 feet.

So at 750 feet, it would be DC 23 (i.e. ( 750 - 500 ) / 20 + 10 ).


Now, I hadn't look at this chart in a long time and you pointed out a problem here with it. The DCs are not specified except for Movement and Stationary. Only the distances are specified for the others (and for Dense Fog at the bottom).

This can probably be solved either by adding DC increments for the other types, or by just saying that the other distances are DC 20 and approximate down for closer ranges.